“Jealous Husband Shot Wife. Frenzied Wiconisco Man Takes Terrible Vengeance for Idle Threat. Three Times Wounded Mrs. Harry Johns Will Recover.” [Harrisburg Telegraph, April 22, 1904].
“Murderous Miner Assaulted Wife. Wiconisco Woman Is In Precarious Condition. Lodged in the County Jail.” [Harrisburg Daily Independent, April 23, 1904.”
Above is a portrait of Elizabeth [Kindler] Johns (1886-1945) that appeared in the Elizabethville Echo, April 29, 1904. It accompanied an article describing the vicious beating and near fatal gunshot wounds she received at the hand of her husband, April 22, 1904. The Echo was able to obtain an interview with Elizabeth Johns as she lay on her recovery bed, and the Lykens Standard of April 29, 1904, reported on the incident that led to the outburst from Harry Johns.
Fortunately, Mrs. Johns recovered and the justice system took care of Harry Johns – he was sentenced to one year in the penitentiary.
The irony of this case was that Harry Johns‘ father, Harry Johns Sr., had been found complicit in the death of Elizabeth Johns‘ father, Fred Kindler, who was killed in a Lykens barroom brawl by Sydney Ware in May 1889.
The story is told here through the Elizabethville and Lykens newspapers:
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From the Elizabethville Echo, April 29, 1904:
TRIED TO MURDER WIFE
SHOOTING AFFAIR AT WICONISCO STIRS UPPER END
The sensational shooting of Mrs. Harry Johns of Wiconisco, last Friday night, by her jealous husband was the absorbing theme of conversation throughout the upper end of the county for several days. Mrs. Johns is still alive and at the present time the prospects of her recovery are very encouraging. Three ghastly bullet wounds, one in the back part of her head and two between the shoulders, besides a score of bruises on various parts of her body and limbs, make her a pitiful sight to behold.
To a representative of the Echo, who called at the house where the injured woman lay, she volunteered the following story of the crime:
“I was married to Harry Johns somewhat over a year ago, and we have one small child. Harry is 22 years of age and I am a little more than 18. He has always been very jealous, surely without any cause, but it has made life very unhappy for both of us. Two weeks ago from next Monday we had a terrible fight and had not my mother come upon the scene just in time he would have shot me then. As it was he had torn every stitch of clothing from my body and had choked me until my neck was swollen to almost twice its natural size, with the marks of his finger nails plainly visible in the flesh.
“Our trouble last evening started with a dispute about tacking some pictures on the wall, and after a few words had passed between us he again got his revolver and threatened to shoot me. I fully realized that he threatened to carry his threat into execution and upon my knees I plead with him to have pity on me. He hesitated and I finally escaped from him and ran up stairs. He followed me but I eluded him for a few minutes and again started down the stairs falling the greater distance. He fired several shots at me but I don’t think any of them took any effect, until I got to the front door, when one hit my head. I got outside, however, and another ball struck my back and still another ball grazed the flesh. I think he fired about seven shots in all. He then beat me with the butt end of his revolver until I fell over on the ash heap entirely exhausted, I believe he thought I was dead. He then left me and locked himself and the baby in the house.”
Mrs. Fred Kindler, the mother of the young woman told how she found the young woman a few minutes after the shooting and had her removed to her home which is but a short distance away. She said that the frenzied man had opened an upstairs window and with the child upon his knees coolly watched his wife being carried away.
When Constable Witmer arrived upon the scene he found the crowd keeping at a respectable distance from the Johns home, but he found little trouble in making the arrest. Johns was lodged in the Lykens lock-up until next morning when he was taken to the county prison at Harrisburg. Upon being told on Saturday morning that his wife was still alive, he remarked, with a considerable effort at sarcasm, “give her my best.”
A strange coincidence with this case is that Mrs. Johns is the daughter of the late Fred Kindler, who was shot by Sydney Ware about sixteen years ago during a drunken brawl in Bryer’s Saloon at Lykens, which was started by Harry Johns Sr., father of the husband now in jail.
Johns bears the reputation of being a decent and orderly citizen and seldom given to drink, but very hot tempered and uncontrollable when once aroused.
The woman’s escape from death is considered remarkable, as it is difficult to conceive how a human being can be used up so badly and still live. One of the bruises on the left arm is fully three inches in diameter, and several bones in one hand are said to be broken. There a flesh wounds on the lower lip and on the back of the neck, but it is not known whether they were caused by bullets or by blows from the revolver. The trigger guard of the revolver is said to have been bent out of shape from the awful force of the blows rained upon the head of Mrs. Johns, and clots of hair and blood were found upon the revolver when the arrest was made.
The weapon was evidently one of the cheap variety as none of the bullets were deeply imbedded.
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From the Lykens Standard, April 29, 1904:
HARRY JOHNS ATTEMPTS TO KILL HIS WIFE
On Friday evening shortly before 9 o’clock, while Harry Johns and wife were engaged in hanging some new pictures at their home in the Bueck block on Elm Street, Wiconisco, it was found necessary to secure more tacks to finish the work, and Mrs. Johns requested her husband to go out and purchase some. Mrs. Johns, who was intensely jealous of his 17-year-old wife, never permitting her to go out alone nor to be left alone in the evening, refused to do so. His wife then remarked that if he wouldn’t get them she knew how she could get them the next day. Quick as a flash he jumped down from the chair he was standing on, knocked her down, kicked her and then rushed to the second floor and secured a revolver containing three charges. Returning he found her fleeing from the house and emptied the weapon at her. One ball struck her about two inches above the right ear and was flattened on the skull. The infuriated husband seeing that the balls failed to stop her again knocked her down and beat her into unconsciousness with the butt end of the pistol, remarking, “This time you are dead for sure.” But she regained consciousness and again attempted to flee when she was overtaken at an ash pile near the house, knocked down, beat about the head, kicked and even jumped upon in order to crush out her life. Satisfied that he had accomplished his purpose, he coolly walked into the house, locked the doors and picking up his six months’ old daughter took refuge in a second story bedroom and watched friends pick up his wife and carry her to the home of her mother.
In the meantime a large crowd had gathered about the house and some very threatening remarks were heard, but as Johns on demand surrendered to Constable D. F. Witmer, he was allowed to be brought to the lockup at this place [Lykens] without being interfered with. Had is been necessary, however, to break open the door to secure him, there might be a different story to relate, as the infuriated crowd only required a leader to give the word when there would ave been a rush and the county saved the expense of at least one trial at the next session of criminal court. Johns was taken to the Harrisburg jail on Saturday morning.
It was at first thought that the three shots had taken effect, as Mrs. Johns was bleeding profusely from several wounds about the head, but upon an examination being made by Dr. C. D. Christman, who was summoned to attend the injured woman until the arrival of Dr. M. D. Lehr, the family physician, it was found that only one ball struck her and that was easily removed, as it had flattened on the scull and was found directly beneath the skin. Dr. Lehr arrived at about 11 p. m. when a more thorough examination was made, and it was found that there were half a dozen wounds about the head, and that she was bruised all over the body. The fingers on one hand were cut and the other hand was badly bruised. It is supposed that the latter injuries were received in attempting to shield her head. Dr. Lehr reports his patient as getting along very nicely and says she will be all right in a week or tow.
Mrs. Johns received a letter from her husband on Tuesday in which he says he is sorry for what he did and sends her many kisses. He also requests her to send him $10 out of the pay due him at Short Mountain Colliery tomorrow, to defend him in court. When asked it she would comply with his request, she said, “Well, I guess I’ll have to.”
A strange coincidence in connection with this case is that Mrs. Johns is the daughter of the late Fred Kindler, who was shot by Sydney Ware on Saturday evening, May 4, 1889, during a drunken brawl in August Braeuer‘ Saloon on Market Street, this borough [Lykens], which was started by Harry Johns Sr., father of the husband now in jail.
Johns, who is 23 years of age, married about one year ago, and neighbors say was very devoted to his wife and child. He never permitted her to bring coal or water when he was at home, and also did all the buying at the store.
Since Johns arrest it is recalled that this is not the first shooting scrape he has been in. About a year or more ago while he and several other young men were drinking a keg of beer along the creek south of Wiconisco, a altercation arose and Johns procuring a shot gun drove them away, firing at them repeatedly. Fortunately by letting themselves drop to the ground every time Johns was about to fire, the young men escaped injury, but he shot to kill and several people in the Wiconisco Cemetery at the time hearing the shot whistle past were compelled to flee.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, May 6, 1904:
Mrs. Harry Johns, the young woman who was shot by her husband at Lykens, a week ago, and was thought would not survive is able to be out of bed. The physicians who are attending her say she will recover.
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From the Lykens Standard, June 17, 1904:
HARRY JOHNS GETS OFF EASY
Harry W. Johns of Wiconisco, who several months ago attempted to kill his wife by shooting her in the head, kicking her and pounding her into insensibility with the butt end of a revolver, on being brought before the court for trial Monday pleaded guilty to felonious assault and battery, and was sentenced to one year in the penitentiary.
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Articles from Newspapers.com.
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